Over the years, many variations of satchels, backpacks, fanny packs, vests and the like have been adapted to uses by sportsmen, such as hunters and fishermen, for carrying their respective gear. One prior form of carrier for waterfowlers includes a cross-chest satchel worn over one shoulder and having a side pocket hanging beneath the opposite shoulder when worn by a waterfowl hunter. Identical goose or duck call pockets are disposed on the opposite sides of the satchel located over the chest and back when worn. This rendered the satchel ambidextrous. Elastic shell loops were provided over the side gear pocket.
While this device satisfied the needs of waterfowlers, it was not suitable for other sportsmen, such as hunters and fishermen, including deer hunters, turkey hunters, upland game hunters, skeet shooters, trap shooters, sporting clay shooters and fly fishermen. Each of these groups of sportsmen have particular needs for holding, carrying or storing different gear particular to their focused endeavors, and for having that gear readily and ergonomically accessible (or useful deployment in field or fishing environments.
In addition, it is necessary for hunters such as turkey hunters and deer hunters in gun season to display hunter orange on themselves to distinguish them from game or other targets in the field and thus enhance their safety.
Moreover, whatever gear is to be carried, it is desirable to disperse it ergonomically so its weight is evenly distributed on the body of a user of the carrier.
When a typical hunting vest is loaded with gear, the load pulls the front of the vest down. This puts pressure on the back, causing back pain and discomfort. In addition, such vests are not widely adjustable as to size or to clothing worn and a single vest does not efficiently satisfy the needs of a single hunter, much less being adaptable to a variety of hunters whose size, weight and clothing may vary greatly. Moreover, the prior devices do not provide the function of providing gear receptacles so that when loaded for the specific endeavors or type of hunting, the resulting load is evenly distributed.
Also, when a typical vest is loaded, the items in the vest tend to obstruct the gun mount in preparation for a wing shot. Thus, if a vest stores any calls in a position where they need not be disconnected from a typical neck-worn lanyard, they can interfere with a gun mount.
Backpacks used in hunting or shooting situations present similar problems. When carrying gear, they stress back or stomach muscles; the load is not evenly distributed on the body. Moreover, backpacks and fanny packs must be generally removed or rotated to gain access, both causing game distracting movement.
While it is known to provide various hunters' satchels, shell bags and game bags which have a strap fitting over the head of the user and resting on one shoulder while the bag rests on the hunter's other side, such devices tend to bite into the support shoulder and do not have particular receptacles for the specific variety of waterfowl hunting accessories used by a hunter. Moreover, while such bags may be transferred from one shoulder to the other, they do not provide ready access to the hunter for his particular gear or the like, regardless of whether he is right or left-handed, and they will not easily accommodate the needs of both right and left-handed hunters when worn during a shooting or fishing activity.
Accordingly, the prior all does not adequately or universally satisfy the needs of deer, turkey or upland game hunters, nor the specific needs of skeet, trap and sporting clay shooters or fly fishermen.
Accordingly, it has been one objective of this invention to provide improved gear carriers for sportsmen in particular fields of endeavor where their respective gear is adequately stored with even load distribution for carrying in the Field or stream, yet is particularly readily and ergonomically accessible.
A further objective of the invention in one embodiment has been to provide an improved gear carrier particularly suitable for deer and big game hunters.
A further objective of the invention in another embodiment has been to provide an improved gear carrier particularly suitable for turkey hunters.
A further objective of the invention in another embodiment has been to provide an improved gear carrier particularly suitable for upland game hunters.
A further objective of the invention in another embodiment has been to provide an improved gear carrier particularly suitable for users participating in the shooting sports, such as skeet, trap and sporting clays.
A further objective of the invention in another embodiment has been to provide an improved gear carrier particularly suitable for fly fishermen.